Lock-nut.



. No; 742,282. PATENTED 001 .27, 1903."

w. H. BLOCK.

LOGK NUT.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 4, 1903. NO MODEL.

- 6 9 I522222222!mum !r /.22 2)? WITNES ASE INVENTOR.

ATTaRm Patented October 27, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HENRY BLOCK, OF HURON, OHIO.

LOCK-NUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,282, datedOctober 27, 1903. Application filed May 4, 1903. Serial No. 155,541. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY BLOCK, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Huron, in the county of Erie and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lock-Nuts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in those lock-nuts which comprise a fixed washer provided with a pivoted locking-pawl and a ratchet-wheel carried by a nut or bur.

One object of my inventionis to provide a lock-nut in which a spring for seating the locking-pawl is dispensed with.

Another object of my invention is to provide a lock-nut inwhich' the locking-pawl is interlocked with the ratchet-wheel teeth.

Another object ofmy invention is to provide the locking-pawl with means whereby it may be lifted away from the ratchet-wheel teeth when it is released.

Another object of my invention is to provide a seat for the tooth of the locking-pawl when the latter is released from the ratchetwheel teeth, so as to limit the outward movement of the locking-pawl. I

Another object of my' invention is to provide a locking-pawl pivoted within the rim of the washer and having its outer part flush with the rim of the washer and flange of the nut or bur when in normal locking position,

so as to protect the chamber within the washer from dirt and snow.

Another object of my invention is to provide a lock-nut which will fitand can be used with any ordinary bolt.

My invention consists in the'novel features of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed .to'describe it with taken on the line I I of reference to the accompanying drawings, in

whichg 1 Figure I is a vertical longitudinal section of my improved lock-nut, showing it applied to the fish-plates and bolt'ofa railroad-rail, Fig. II looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. IIis a side view thereof. tion on an enlarged scale, taken on the line III III of Fig. I looking in the direction of the arrows, showing the locking-pawl locked opposite Fig. III is a vertical transverse secthread of the bolt 1 and seating against the rim 14 of the washer 13, having an angular head 29, whereby it is turned and adjusted,

in full lines and unlocked in dotted lines. Fig. IIII is a similar view showing the locking-pawl unlocked in full lines and locked in dotted lines. Fig. V is a perspective View of the lock-nut, showing the parts separated.

- In the present instance I show myimproved lock-nut as used with a screw-threaded bolt 1 of a rail-joint;

2 is the base; 3, the web, having a bolt-hole 4:, and 5 the head of a section of an ordinary railroad-rail.

6 is an inner fish-plate','having a bolt-hole 7 and an angular countersink 8, surrounding the bolt-hole 7 for the reception of theangw lar head 9 of the bolt 1 to hold the bolt from turning.

10 is an outer fish-plate, having a bolt-hole 11 and V-shaped depressions 12, located on sides of the bolt-hole 11.

13 is a washer surrounding the bolt 1 and The in the body thereof, in which are fixed retaining-pins 19, having V-sha'ped ends 20, fitting in the V-shaped depressions -12 of the outer fish-plate 10, providing meansfor holding the washer 13 from turning on the outerv fishplate 10.

1 18 is another drill-hole in the washer 13 at the open recess 15, adjacent to the rear undercut 16, in which is fixed" a pivot-pin 21.

22 is a locking-pawl of approximately segmental form and flush with the rim 14: when in normal position, having a pivot-hole 23 at its rear end, whereby it is hinged to the pivotpin 21 within the open recess 15, and a broad head 24 at its front end, formed with a forwardly-projecting tooth 25,- adapted to seat at its outer side against the front undercut 17, which provides a stop to limitits outward movement, and with a transverse recess 26, providing a finger-piece 27, whereby the pawl may be seated against the front undercut17 when released and the'finger-piece projected.

28 is a nut or bur adjustable on the screwhaving a rim 14, providing ratchet wheel chamber and formed with an elongated circumferential open recess 15, a rear undercut 16 at one end of the recess, and a forward undercut 17 at the other end of the recess. washer 13 is'also provided with drill-holes 18 ICO ' Wheel 33, having semicircular recesses 34, re-

a flange 30, an inwardly-projecting hub 31, and drill-holes 32, merged into the hub 31. Surrounding the hub 31 and seating against the inner face of the flange 30 is a ratchet-- ceiving key-pins 35, which are inserted in the drill-holes 32 of the hub 31, whereby the ratchet-wheel 33 is fixed to the nut or bur 23. This ratchet-wheel 33 is also formed with rearwardly-projecting teeth 36, having undercuts 37. \Vhen the nut or bur 28 is applied to the bolt and turned in one direction, or forward, the ratchet-wheel 33 gradually passes into the washer-chamber 38 within the rim 14E of the washer 13 and into the plane of the locking-pawl 22, causing the ratchet-wheel teeth 36 toimpinge against the tooth 25 of the locking-pawl and to force or throw it outward, and therefore project the finger-piece 27 beyond the rim 14 of the washer 13, so as to enable the tooth 25 of the locking-pawl 22 to be seated against the front undercut 17 and held in the outer position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 1111, while the nut or bur 28 is turned home. The lockingpawl 22 being then released or pressed inward and the nut or bur turned slightly in the opposite direction, or rearward, the pawl-tooth 25 will slide on the back of one tooth 36 and interlock in the undercut 37 of the next tooth 36 of the ratchet-wheel 33 and interlock with the nut or bur 28, as shown in Fig. III, until the latter is slightly turned forward again to force the locking-pawl 22 outward on the tooth 36, against which it was seated, so as to project the finger-piece 27 suiiiciently beyond the rim 14 of the washer 13 as to enable it to be engaged by and pulled outwardly bya finger or a suitable tool.

It will be observed that when the parts of the lock-nut are in operative position the interior parts are substantially concealed, as only the line of separation of the nut from the washer and the locking-pawl from the rim can be seen upon close inspection of the locknut, as the locking-pawl fits flush with the rim of the washer and the rim of the washer is flush with the flange of the nut.

lVhile the locking-pawl is shown in upper position in the drawings, it is as well adapted to interlock with the teeth of the ratchetwheel in any position of the washer, as the tendency of the nut to move rearwardly causes a firmer engagement of the ratchetwheel teeth with the tooth of the lockingpawl, which cannot be released when once looked until the nutis turned forward. Friction therefore keeps the locking-pawl in place.

It will also be apparent that the lock-nut can be applied on the screw-thread of any ordinary bolt wherever located for the purpose of locking any device through which the bolt is passed or on which the device is mounted, as the lock-nut can be used where any nut or bur is used. The lock-nut can be used in machines to hold Wheels in place.

V\7hile in the present instance I have shown the ratchet wheel formed separately and keyed to the hub and nut orbur, yet in practice the ratchet-wheel may be formed in one piece with the hub, flange, and nut or bur by means of a die and hammer out of solid iron.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A lock-nut comprising a washer having a rim formed integral with an elongated circumferential open recess in its periphery and providing a ratchet-wheel chamber, a locking-pawl pivoted at its rear end in and adapted to close the open recess of the rim and having aforwardly-projecting tooth, and a nut having a ratchet-wheel adapted to occupy a position in the ratchet-wheel chamber within the rim of the washer and provided with rearwardly-projecting undercut teeth adapted to throw out the locking-pawl when the nut is turned forward, or in one direction and to interlock with the locking-pawl when the nut is turned rearward, or in the opposite direction.

2. A lock-nut comprising a washer having a rim formed integral with an elongated circumferential open recess in its peripheryand providing a ratchet-wheel chamber, a locking-pawl pivoted at its rear end in and adapted to close the open recess of the rim and having a forwardly-projecting tooth and a transverse recess at the rear of the tooth providing an unlocking finger-piece, and a nut having a ratchet-wheel adapted to occupy a position in the ratchet-wheel chamber within the rim of the Washer and provided with rearwardly-projecting undercut teeth adapted to throw out the locking-pawl when the nut is turned forward, or in one direction, and to interlock with the locking-pawl when the nut is turned rearward, or in the opposite direction.

3. A lock-nut comprising a washer having a rim formed with an elongated circumferential open recess in its periphery, and an undercut, and providing a ratchet-wheel chamher, a locking-pawl pivoted at its rear end in the open recess of the rim and having a forwardly-projecting tooth, adapted to seat against the undercut of the rim when released, and means for unlocking the locking-pawl and a nut having a ratchet-wheel adapted to occupy a position in the ratchet-wheel chamber within the rim of the washer and provided with rearwardly-projecting undercut teeth adapted to throw out the locking-pawl when the nut is turned forward, or in one direction and to interlock with the locking-pawl when the nut is turned rearward, or in the opposite direction.

4. A lock-nut comprising a washer having a rim formed with an elongated circumferential open recess in its periphery, and an undercut and providing a ratchet-wheel chamber, a locking-pawl pivoted at its rear end in the open recess of the rim and having a mazes 8 forwardly-projecting tooth adapted to seat against the undercut of the rim when released and a transverse recess at the rear of the tooth providing an unlocking finger-piece, and a nut having a ratchet-wheel adapted to occupy a position in the ratchet-wheel chamber within the rim of the washer and provided with rearwardly-projecting undercut teeth adapted to throw out the locking-pawl when the nut is turned forward, or in one direction and to interlock with the locking-pawl when the nut is turned rearward, or in the opposite direction 5. A lock-nut comprising a washer having a rim formed integral with an elongated circumferential open recess in its periphery providing a ratchet-wheel chamber, a lockingpawl pivoted in and adapted to close the open recess of the rim and fitting flush with the latter when in normal locking position and having a forwardly-projecting tooth, and a nut having a flange flush with the rim of the washer and a ratchet-wheel adapted to occupy a position in the ratchet-wheel chamber within the rim of the washer, and provided with rearwardly-projecting undercut teeth adapted to interlock with the tooth of the locking-pawl when the latter is in normal position.

6. A lock-nut comprising a washer having a rim formed with an open recess in its periphery, drill-holes in the body of the washer, and a drill-hole in the rim, retaining-pins inserted in the drill-holes of the body, a pivotpin inserted in the drill-hole 0f the rim, a locking-pawl hinged to the pivot-pin and having a forwardly-projecting tooth, and a nut having a ratchet-wheel adapted to occupy a position within the rim of the washer and provided with rearwardly-projecting undercut teeth adapted to interlock with the tooth of the locking-pawl.

7. A lock-nut comprising a washer having a rim formed with an open recess in its periphery, a locking-pawl pivoted in the open recess of the rim and having a forwardly-projecting tooth, a not having a flange, an inwardly-projectin g hub and drill-holes merged into the hub, and a ratchet-wheel having semicircular recesses and adapted to occupy a position within the rim of the washer and provided with rearwardly-projecting undercut teeth adapted to interlock with the tooth ot' the locking-pawl and key-pins inserted in the drill-holes of the hub and in the semicircular recesses of the ratchet-wheel.

WILLIAM HENRY BLOCK. v

Witnesses: 4

W. R. TYLER, C. E. WARNKE. 

